How will scientists create such small technolgy?
How are scientists going to create these tiny particles and structures? It depends on what they are creating, and there are many ways to do it. For example, scientists recently discovered that you can create certain kinds of quantum dots inexpensively using a fairly normal chemical reaction. You can create long strands of carbon nanotubes with chemical reactions as well. Tiny nanomachines are often created by etching silicon in the same sort of way that engineers create computer chips. Sometime in the future, engineers probably will create machines that can arrange atoms one-by-one. It is possible to arrange the atoms one-by-one today, but it is very slow, and there are many kinks to work out of the process.

Not everything in nanotechnology is happening in the future. And not all of it is "high- tech." For example, you can buy a disinfectant today that is made with nanotechnology. It is called EcoTruŽ. What it does is kill bacteria, but it does it the nano way. EcoTruŽ starts with nano-sized droplets of oil that contain a chemical that kills bacteria. The nano-sized particles -- called nanospheres -- are specially engineered to attack only bacteria and avoid other cells such as human cells. Because the droplets are so small, they can go right through the cell wall of the bacteria. This makes it one of the best, and least hazardous, disinfectants available today.

NanoTunes Photo courtesy Apple Computer, Inc. Measuring a scant 0.27 inches in width and weighing a mere 1.5 ounces, the latest iPod to hit the streets is very appropriately called the "Nano." Talk about some amazing super-small technology!

As you can see, when we start designing stuff at the nano level, things just keep getting better and better.